Three ACNA bishops were among a group of religious leaders in the U.S. who signed a statement attacking "transgender ideology". They warned that harm could be done to children when they are told they can "change" their sex or given hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile.

Not a single Episcopal bishop signed the document, which included the small handful of remaining 'orthodox' bishops in TEC who could have signed it.

The three Anglican bishops included ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach, Bishop John Guernsey, Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic and Bishop Eric Menees, San Joaquin. CANA/ACNA Bishop Julian Dobbs did not get the document in time but told VOL he would have signed it.

The statement titled, "Created Male and Female: An Open Letter from Religious Leaders" was signed by a Roman Catholic Archbishop, Protestant (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Black and Brudehof) and Orthodox bishops, as well as a Muslim leader Imam Faizal Khan and by evangelical leaders including Andrew Walker, director of policy studies for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

In their statement they argue that Gender ideology harms individuals and societies by sowing confusion and self-doubt. "The state itself has a compelling interest, therefore, in maintaining policies that uphold the scientific fact of human biology and supporting the social institutions and norms that surround it," they said.

They say that it denies the "socio-cultural reality of gender" which cannot be "separated from one's sex as male or female." They described it as a "fundamental precept of our shared existence."

God "created each person male or female; therefore, sexual difference is not an accident or a flaw -- it is a gift from God that helps draw us closer to each other and to God."

The leaders said that describing someone's "discomfort" with their sex as "a complicated reality that needs to be addressed with sensitivity and truth."

The statement warned against the harm done to children in particular by "gender ideology", saying it "harms individuals and societies by sowing confusion and self-doubt".

Their statement ended by saying; "We desire the health and happiness of all men, women, and children. Therefore, we call for policies that uphold the truth of a person's sexual identity as male or female, and the privacy and safety of all. We hope for renewed appreciation of the beauty of sexual difference in our culture and for authentic support of those who experience conflict with their God-given sexual identity."